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September 18, 2009
Spellbinding Burlesque Class
The above photo was a candid backstage photo taken by John Bentham at Shanghai Mermaid, seconds before I was about to go on stage. I love this photo, because in it, I'm working my magic...you are actually witnessing a "glamouring" secret that has been passed down by generations of women in my family - it's subtle, and you only know it if you are related to me, or if you took my Spellbinding Burlesque class. Yes, my Lovelies....I have a virtual arsenal of spellbinding secrets and magic...ready to be shared.
Yep. Those behind the scenes things that I worked on with Andrea on MTV's MADE - tips and tricks to being confident and world dominating.....I'm giving them to you! My class is open to ALL women - all ages, all sizes, all backgrounds, all levels of confidence. You do not need any dance experience. While I will be teaching you a full number with "magic" moves to take home with you - the majority of the day will be based on - radiating confidence, finding the magic behind the REAL you, finding your Signature Style and basically owning any room you walk in to.
Whether you want to be a burlesque performer - or just have the confidence and sass of one - my class is for you! The last five classes I've done with the NY School of Burlesque have sold out quickly. I only have a few spaces left on this one - and this is your last chance to work with me in an intensive class before I leave for a month and 1/2 to tour all over the US, Canada and Mexico.
I invite you to be a part of our circle of bewitching bombshells. Your new life begins..... Saturday, September 26th - noon to six pm - sign up and get all the details by clicking here - The New York City School of Burlesque.
It's a great class to take with a friend!
Here are some things my students have said:
"Veronica Varlow sees the beauty in You, and in falling under Her spell, you fall under YOUR spell. "Spellbinding Burlesque" is all about charm, sisterhood, and secrets!" - Coco La Pearl
"I loved the class! I wished it lasted FOREVER!" - Dame Beso
"Veronica - you gave us such great advice, opportunities, tricks, etc! Thank you!" - Miss Amanda Jones
"Your class is like a super-stylish, slumber party!" - Tallulah Luv
Let's make some real magic together!
xoxoxo
VeVa
Posted by Veronica at 12:28 PM
September 11, 2009
Remembering...
Last night, I was coming home from performing at Fashion's Night Out and I was in the back of a car service going over the Williamsburg Bridge. The driver was playing beautiful classical music and I was looking over the city lights when the clock on the dashboard caught my eye....12:03am. It was September 11th.
Eight years ago today I was walking this same bridge with countless others and I will never forget what we saw or how it felt. My heart has been heavy all day in memory of all those lost - and I wanted to re-post a journal entry that I did back on September 2004 - it said what I wanted to say..........
The above picture is one I took out of my side window at my apartment on a beautiful sunset in July of 2001.
When I first got to New York City in 1998 and was going to college, I made my living working as a tour guide on the double decker buses. New York City has always been a love story for me. Full of history and stories, poetry and bustling life. It was a place I dreamed of coming to for forever. After being here for years, I never lost my wide-eyed innocence of the city. I worked the tour buses, cruising the circles and streets of the city over and over each day. It was during this time, I immersed myself even further into the structure of the city. The buildings were my friends, in a time when I was lonely - I had their stories and their history to build around me and comfort me.
On Summer nights, I used to sit with my legs dangling out of my window, wishing on the red blinking light on top of the second tower of the Twin Towers. It's hard to see stars in the city sky, so I would look towards the peacefulness of the blinking red light on that tower. It was the highest point in the skyline of the city. I imagined that everytime the soft red light blinked, a wish would come true to all of the dreamers who looked out their windows in the city.
Three years ago, they were evacuating us. I was crossing the Williamsburg Bridge on foot with hundreds of other people when I heard that tower with the blinking light fall behind me. I knew what the sound was. I knew the second tower had collapsed. I didn't even want to turn around and look. I leaned against the railing with people that I didn't know and we all cried.
I got my things together and went back to the nearest trauma hospital to the towers to volunteer. I will never forget that day. We waited and waited for them to come in. Anyone. Someone we could save. The firefighters returned with eyes bloodshot from liquid glass. A man from the Ironworkers Union, a big man, came to me looking for his friends. They had all rushed into the towers to save people, the towers started to collapse as he was helping people out. He got seperated from his friends and couldn't find them. I held him in my arms for a really long time. The world changed that day.
The next day their faces were everywhere. Posted on missing person posters lining the city streets. I wrote down their names in my journal. I didn't want them to be lost. Writing their names down was my way to try and fight against death.
I wasn't going to write anything today. It was just really hard. But this morning, I passed by Engine Company 33, who lost many brave men to September 11th. I sat there, across from the firehouse at 7:30 this morning, when I saw moms and little kids walking in, families of the fallen firefighters. I knew I had to say something here. Something for them. For Michael Boyle, for David Arce, for Shannon Fava...for so many others.
My heart goes out to you that have lost loved ones. My heart goes out to the fallen heroes and the people that lost their lives. I wish there was something I could have done.
I will never forget you.
Posted by Veronica at 10:13 PM
